


Living The Dream

by IcyHotHeart



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, Hero | Luminary is Named Eleven | El (Dragon Quest XI), Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, Mia is addicted to Cool Ranch Doritos, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29444682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyHotHeart/pseuds/IcyHotHeart
Summary: “You’re… inviting me to a what?” Erik asked his little sister, staring down at her in confusion and a just a bit of suspicion.“It’s a Valentine’s Day party, doofus. Find a date. Show up. It’s that easy.” With that, Mia turned on her heel and walked towards a group of her friends, leaving Erik holding the piece of paper that was sure to be his downfall.Or, Erik invites Eleven as his date to a Valentine’s Day party, but Eleven doesn’t realize it’s a real date.
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23
Collections: Valenslimes Day 2021





	Living The Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [omgitsaddyc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/omgitsaddyc/gifts).



> Happy Valenslime’s Day, Addy!! I hope that your day is as gooreat as you <3

“You’re… inviting me to a what?” Erik asked his little sister, staring down at her in confusion and a just a bit of suspicion.

“It’s a Valentine’s Day party, doofus. Find a date. Show up. It’s that easy.” With that, Mia turned on her heel and walked towards a group of her friends, leaving Erik holding the piece of paper that was sure to be his downfall. Erik groaned dramatically, stomping his foot twice like a child. Then, he took a deep breath and pulled out his phone. He was going to need backup.

“Why don’t you just ask him?” Serena asked. Sweet, innocent Serena. She had no idea the power this party held. If he simply invited him to the party, he would probably tell him to get lost from his life. Or at the very least say no. And if he said no, this would be a permanent stain on their friendship. Oh, the time Erik invited me to a Valentine’s Day party, yeah that was hilarious!

“We can hear you thinking,” Jade commented from the other side of the phone.

“I don’t want him to hate me,” he replied lamely.

“He’s your friend. He won’t hate you.” 

“You say that, but the only time you asked someone out she said yes,” Erik groaned. “Plus, you two had been pining for years.”

“And you two haven’t?” Jade countered. 

“Jade, please,” Erik begged.

“Erik,” Serena interrupted, “I really think you should just ask him. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“He could say no, he could be upset that I even asked,” Erik began.

“Do you want me to ask him for you?” Jade asked, cutting him off. Erik made a pained noise in the very back of his throat. That was the very last thing he wanted.

“No, I’m not a little kid, I can ask for myself,” he responded.

“Great. Let us know how it goes.” His phone made a beeping noise signalling that Jade had hung up on him. 

“Fine. I’ll ask him,” he muttered to no one. “But as soon as he says no I’m moving at least two countries away and changing my name.” 

“Hey, El,” Erik began as the two walked home together. “Did my little sis tell you about the Valentine’s Day party she and her friends are hosting?” Eleven shook his head as he adjusted his backpack for the nth time.

“She hasn’t said anything about it to me.” Erik sighed and swung his backpack in front of him, digging out the paper Mia had shoved at him the day before and handing it to his friend.

“She said I have to bring a date,” Erik said as casually as he could. “Wanna come with me?” Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Eleven fumble the paper, but when he turned back he was holding the page steady and wearing a disturbing neutral expression. It was like he was trying to hide his true emotions. Erik felt his heart speed up again, and his palms turn sweaty. He hated him now, didn’t he? He knew he shouldn’t have listened to Ja-

“What should I wear?” Eleven interrupted his train of thought.

“Huh? Oh, uh, just, something kind of nice I guess? Like, not too fancy, but…” Erik gestured vaguely in front of himself, still registering the fact that Eleven had said yes. “Just. You know.”

“I’ll ask Gemma,” Eleven teased, elbowing him in the side lightly. That stony look was gone, replaced by the comfortable one he usually wore in Erik’s presence.

“I should probably ask too,” Erik replied, letting out a sheepish laugh. “Mia will absolutely kick me out if I don’t look good enough.”

“She would, wouldn’t she?” Eleven laughed as well, shaking his head as he finally handed the paper back. “You look so good, everyone! Except you, Erik, go home,” he mimicked, managing to hold back from laughing until he finished. 

“I bet she wouldn’t even bring me back any candy!” Erik and Eleven burst out laughing anew, stopping to catch their breath after a few moments.

“Oh, man, that hurts,” Eleven said with a grin, holding his stomach lightly.

“Ugh, I know what you mean,” Erik agreed, holding a hand across his middle as well.

“Oh, shit, almost passed my place.” Erik looked up, surprised they were already to Eleven’s turn.

“Damn, the only time this walk doesn’t feel like forever is when we’re having fun.” 

“Honestly, fuck Father Time or whoever had a hand in that,” Eleven complained.

“Dammit, Chronos!” Erik raised his voice and a fist dramatically towards the sky, earning another bout of laughter from Eleven.

“Text me when you get home, yeah?” Eleven asked as he turned towards his house, hesitating while he waited for an answer.

“Of course I will,” Erik replied. “See ya tomorrow, El.” He gave a small wave before resuming his path, a little lighter on his feet than he’d been before. Eleven had really agreed to be his date! He couldn’t wait to tell Mia. Too shy to ask him out, his ass! 

Erik stared at the text displayed on his phone, a mix of emotions battling for dominance within him. Disappointment, confusion, anxiety, hurt, and pure, unequivical what the fuck. He blinked and looked away for a moment, but when he turned back, the words hadn’t changed.

Jelly Elly: So hw mch do u wnt 2 sell ths? Cn i kiss u on th cheek or?

“What the fuck,” Erik mumbled. “You… didn’t think I was serious, did you?” Erik ran his free hand through his hair and made a noise not unlike an injured whale.

“Did you just fucking hrooough?” Mia asked as she walked through his front door unannounced. 

“That’s my business,” Erik replied, swiping away from the text of doom.

“Come on, Erik. What’s got you down?” Mia’s voice was surprisingly caring. Shit, he must have really looked upset.

“I asked Eleven to be my date.” 

“Oh no. Did he say no?” Mia moved into his kitchen, leaning onto his counter so she could look across it to where he sat. Erik shook his head and unlocked his phone, opening up his chat with Eleven.

“Worse. Look.” He slid the phone across the counter to her, settling his arms on the counter and resting his chin on them.

“He… he thinks it’s a fake date? Erik, you fell for a dumbass.” Mia stared down at the text again, shaking her head. “Do you want me to-”

“No, no, I can handle it,” Erik interrupted. “I just gotta tell him it’s a real date, right?” Mia nodded and passed the phone back to him. “If I say ‘It’s a real date!’ with a smiley face or something that should get it across, right?”

“I hope so. Anyway, I just came to steal your Doritos since Veronica ate all of ours and I can’t live without my Cool Ranch. If something else happens and you need me to kick an ass or some sense into someone, just text me, yeah?”

“Yeah, I’ll text you,” he promised as Mia moved for his chips. He tapped out his message back to Eleven, sending it while he crossed his fingers. He really hoped this whole thing wasn’t a bad idea. “Wish me luck,” he said, clicking his phone screen off with a sigh.

“I hope he gets it this time. You’re always free to come over if you need anything. I can kick Veronica out for a few hours too, she won’t mind,” Mia offered as she headed towards the door, slightly eaten bag of chips in hand.

“Thanks, Mia. I really appreciate it.” As soon as Mia was out the door, his phone buzzed with another text. He quickly opened the notification, holding his breath as he read the text.

Jelly Elly: Kk!! See u tmrw aftr class!!

Erik breathed a sigh of relief. Eleven understood what he meant. He sent a quick text off to Gemma asking her for help with picking out clothes, knowing she would be able to match his and Eleven’s outfits, and relaxed in his seat. Maybe he should entertain Mia’s schemes a little more often...

“Hey, Erik,” Eleven greeted as he arrived at their meeting spot a few paces away from the party. Erik looked up from where he was trying to use up a bit of his excess energy in a game on his phone, almost dropping it when he saw how damn good Eleven looked. Gemma had really come through for them. Eleven wore a purple button down in the same style as Erik’s green one, and his hair somehow looked even silkier than usual. He resisted the urge to rush forward and run his fingers through it. That would just be weird.

“Hey,” he finally replied, mouth going dry. Oh, how was he going to survive the night with a partner that looked that damn good?

“You ready?” Eleven asked, offering his hand out for Erik to take. He quickly shoved his phone in his pocket before lacing his fingers with Eleven’s.

“Absolutely.” Eleven grinned and pulled him towards the door. Erik felt like he was in heaven already, and the night had only just begun.

“Then let the fake date commence!” Eleven declared as he opened the door to the party with a flourish, dragging Erik inside with him as he processed the words that had just come out of his mouth.

Oh, how was he going to survive the night?

This was the worst party Erik had ever been to. This topped the time Faris got so drunk he decided Erik was a horse and tried to jump on his back while he was just trying to get some salsa. It was absolutely worse than the time he and his friends got food poisoning at his 13th birthday party. Hell, he was starting to think back fondly on the time a gas leak happened and the entire block had to be evacuated, putting a stop to the best Smash win streak he had ever had.

Eleven was selling this relationship far too well. He was being everything Erik had hoped for, except… he didn’t think it was real. Every pet name, every gentle rub to the back of Erik’s hand, it was a lie. He didn’t really mean it when he called him darling. That stupid “good luck kiss” on the back of his hand before he jumped into a round of Mario Kart was fake. Every place Eleven had placed affection burned, like the little white lies turned searing hot on his skin.

“You alright, babe?” Eleven asked, placing a comforting hand on Erik’s shoulder. He felt as if Eleven’s touch was branding him, leaving a mark he’d never be rid of.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Erik lied, reaching up to cover Eleven’s hand with his own.

That was the worst part. Erik was reciprocating. Every touch, every pet name, Erik was answering with one of his own. But, unlike Eleven, he meant it. He felt the burn on his own hands too, a penalty for taking advantage like he was. Every loving word he said left a bitter taste in his mouth, and yet he kept saying them.

He distracted himself by watching the Mario Kart match going on in front of them, pretending he didn’t feel Eleven lace their fingers together and bring them down to the spot created by their legs pressing close together. Veronica was winning, it looked like. Sylv was in second place, followed by Serena with Jasper dead last, behind even the NPCs. Was… was Jasper going backwards?

“Not B, Jasper!” Mia called from somewhere on the sidelines. “A! Press the A button!” Finally, Jasper started going forwards, closing the gap between himself and Bowser as quickly as possible.

“You got this, Jasper!” Erik cheered on, choosing to ignore the Veronica-shaped threat on the other couch.

“Win this, Sylv!” Veronica shouted as she threw a green shell directly at Sylv’s kart. Baby Rosalina spun a few times, dropping three coins before resuming the race.

A few moments later, Veronica was victorious. Sylv passed the finish line quickly after, Serena falling behind an NPC before her kart finished. Jasper passed the controller to Hendrik as his kart passed the finish line second to last.

“Stupid game,” he mumbled, crossing his arms as he plopped on the floor next to Hendrik’s chair.

“Aww, Jasper, everyone sucks on their first try!” Mia reassured. “I’m sure if you try again you’ll be much better!”

“Let someone else play,” Jasper said as he pulled out his phone.

“You’re not researching Mario Kart strategies, are you?” Jade asked, moving so she could peek over his shoulder.

“I’m gonna go get something to drink, you need anything babe?” Eleven asked as the others sorted out who was next to play and if using Google was cheating or not, placing a performative kiss on Erik’s cheek.

Erik broke. He wasn’t sure what it was about that one kiss, that one pet name, that one fake loving look that set him off, but he felt something inside him shatter. He stood, making his way out the door as quickly as possible and turning down the first alleyway he could find, leaning up against a wall as he tried to catch his breath and forget the sound of Eleven calling after him. When had he even started breathing so fast?

He hated this feeling. He hated feeling like he was taking advantage of his friend. Eleven didn’t love him, he was just being nice. But he, being the stupid, greedy man that he was, just kept taking more and more of his kindness. He didn’t deserve a friend like Eleven. He didn’t deserve to even hope to be more.

“Erik?” Eleven suddenly called out from somewhere near the door. Erik tried to shove himself further into both his jacket and the wall. He fucked up. He really fucked up.

“Erik? Please? I’m sorry. Please come out?” Oh, Eleven knew how to break his heart. 

“AP full! Barbatos made you some tea!”

“Fuck, Barbatos, shut up shut up shut up,” Erik grumbled at his phone, desperately trying to turn his volume off before Eleven could hear it.

Unfortunately for him, he didn’t notice the presence turning the corner to face him until he was right in front of him. He jumped a little as Eleven came into view, internally cursing the demon in his phone. See if he ever bought Madam Scream’s Macarons again...

“Hey, I heard your… Barbatos,” Eleven greeted awkwardly. “Was that too much back there? I’m sorry, I should have realized…”

“No, it was…” Amazing. Perfect. The best thing he could have hoped for. “Great. I just…” he trailed of, looking anywhere but Eleven’s stupid beautiful face.

“Just what?” he asked, offering a hand towards Erik. He shied away slightly, still feeling guilty for accepting any touch at all.

“I wanted this to be a real date, but you thought it was a fake date and then I just let it keep going and going and I feel bad for letting you hold my hand and kiss my cheek and call me sweetheart when you didn’t know I’m in love with you,” he rushed out. “I’m so sorry I took advantage of that, and… If you hate me, I understand.” He slumped against the wall, looking anywhere but his friend. It was all out in the open now. 

“Erik?” Eleven started. “Erik, please look at me.” Erik sighed but looked up, surprised to see a smile on Eleven’s face. “Erik, you’re silly to think I’d hate you,” he stated simply.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve been doing the same thing you were.” Erik blinked a couple of times like that would make things clearer.

“What?” he asked after a moment, not quite believing what he was hearing.

“I’m in love with you, Erik.” Eleven’s smile lit up his face, so bright Erik wondered if he’d need sunglasses if he looked any longer. Finally, his words processed in Erik’s brain, and he pulled Eleven in closer by his shirt collar.

“Stop me if this is too much,” he whispered before he closed the gap between them. Eleven’s lips felt natural slotted against his own, like they were meant to be together. As they moved together, Erik tasted the Skittles flavored lip gloss Eleven had won in a raffle a few weeks before. Eleven’s hands snaked around him, settling themselves on Erik’s lower back. Erik brought his own hands up to gently play with Eleven’s stupidly perfect hair, careful not to tangle it. 

All too soon, Eleven pulled back, resting his forehead against Erik’s as he caught his breath. Erik moved a hand from Eleven’s hair down to his cheek, rubbing his thumb against it softly as he steadied his own breathing.

“We should head back to the party, huh? Show your sister you got a real date this time?” Eleven asked, smiling that blinding smile again. Erik really was going to have to invest in sunglasses at this rate.

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.” They disentangled themselves from each other and Eleven held out his hand with the slightest pout upon his lips. Erik grinned and laced their fingers together, bringing Eleven’s hand up to place a soft kiss against it. Eleven’s face immediately lit up with a blush, so bright red he could put Rudolph to shame.

“Let’s make this date a good one now that I realize it’s real, sweetheart.” Erik’s face now matched Eleven’s at the pet name, and he leaned into him as they walked in order to hide the blush. 

“I swear, El, you’re gonna be the death of me,” he grumbled. 

“Well, I feel like I died and went to heaven being with you, so,” Eleven trailed off, a sly smile on his face.

“Oh my god, who let you be so smooth?” Erik complained jokingly as he opened the door to rejoin the party.

“One of the perks of being addicted to romance novels,” Eleven replied with a laugh, following Erik back inside. 

“Alright, everyone!” Mia said, her voice coming through a set of speakers, “Let’s get away from slow dancing, yeah? Time to get a little more upbeat!” Erik grinned as one of his and Eleven’s favorite songs began booming over the speakers. 

“Come on, El, let’s give 'em one helluva show!” Erik said as he pulled a laughing Eleven towards the makeshift dance floor, ready to have a night of true fun with his new boyfriend.


End file.
